"Bullying, a boarding school, and a sweet romance. The Crowd combines the wit of Mean Girls and the sizzling romance of Twilight in a setting that rivals Anna and the French Kiss - all while remaining clean and wholesome." ★★★★★ Only the children of millionaires and billionaires attend Whitfield Preparatory Academy. Heiresses, playboys... and seventeen-year-old Ella Parker. For bright and musically gifted Ella, her sudden acceptance into the prestigious boarding school is a dream come true. But Ella's delight quickly turns to dread when she finds herself in the crosshairs of an elite group of ruthless students dubbed "the Crowd." While she's no stranger to life in the spotlight, Ella's never been the center of attention quite like this before and she's determined to make them stop. When the handsome and popular leader of the Crowd starts showing her unexpected - and not unkind - attention, she's forced to choose between the unassuming boy next door, Lucas Morales, her only friend in the small town outside the gates of the boarding school, and Jackson Montgomery, the one boy at Whitfield Prep with the power to put an end to the bullying. Will Ella be humiliated, or triumph over her tormentors? An irresistible story of faith, friendship, betrayal, and swoon-worthy romance, The Crowd will immerse readers in Ella's tumultuous struggle from the very first page. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING "The perfect school, the perfect friend, the perfect guy ...but are all what they seem? The Crowd is a novel of dreams, bitter disappointments, broken pasts, hopeful love, and the weight of forgiveness, as one girl trying to do what's right finds out if she alone is enough to make a difference." ★★★★★ "The book was relatable, intelligent, emotional and surprising. Following a young woman navigate the common and not-so-common situations that young people face with such strength and conviction is refreshing in today's world." ★★★★★ "I would recommend this book to my closest friends and family. The characters draw you in and don't let you go to the very last punctuation mark. Readers will relate to the characters with their struggles to belong while striving to be the person they want to be." ★★★★★ "I couldn't put it down and read it in merely four days ." ★★★★★ "I love to read and I can't remember when I've enjoyed a book more. The plot was exceptional and Ella, the main character, was fantastic. Amidst all the plot twists, I couldn't put the book down, wondering what would happen next!" ★★★★★ "I found this a refreshing read for teenagers who want something other than the doom and gloom books so often offered to their age group. The characters face (sometimes successfully and sometimes not) both every day and life-changing struggles, which are found in other books, but this is told with an approach that is insightful, honest, and hopeful." ★★★★★ EXCERPT As she walked through the tree-lined avenue on her way home, Ella dialed a familiar number and waited for the greeting. A friendly voice prompted her to leave a message with her name and phone number. "Hi, Kelly. It's Ella. I was calling to see how school went for you. I had a...weird day. I miss you. Call me." After trying another friend - and reaching a second recording - she decided to leave her mom a voicemail just to check in, and was surprised when, after the third ring, a real voice answered. "Hello? Ella?" "Mom!" Ella's voice almost broke. "I can't believe you picked up! What time is it there?" "Don't you worry about that. How was your first day?" She sounded excited and Ella compelled herself to match her mother's tone. "Classes were good," she said chirpily. "I think Calculus and History might be intense, but French should be interesting. And we're starting tennis in Phy Ed." "That sounds great! It'll be fun to learn tennis! Is the school what you expected? Or did the website exaggerate?" "No, it's all true. Marble floors and stained glass windows and everything. The place is actually bigger than I thought it would be." "Good! I'm glad you like it!" Ella forced a cheerful air as she said haltingly, "It's been...harder to make friends here than I imagined." "I've been praying about that," her mom replied. "It's been a few years since you were at a new school, and it takes some effort. You're not going to make friends with headphones over your ears and your nose stuck in a book all the time, sweetheart. Did you talk to anyone?" Ella hesitated while her mind ran over the students in the hallway who'd refused to help her find a classroom, the tall boy who'd practically announced to the class that she'd stolen his book, the girls in the lunchroom who'd denied her a seat, and the horrible blonde who'd flat out told her she didn't belong. "Yes, I spoke to a few people today," she said coolly. "Then I'm sure you'll make friends in no time." MORE REVIEWS "Author Alleece Balts debuts with The Crowd , an uplifting novel fo